The present invention relates to an anti-ligature alarm device, a method of detecting an alarm condition in an anti-ligature alarm device and a method of installing an anti-ligature alarm device.
In mental institutions and prisons, patients and/or prisoners are known to utilize the surrounding equipment or infrastructure in order to self-harm or commit suicide. A particular problem is that patients create ligature points on doors or doorways to enable suicide, by means of a makeshift rope hung over a door, for example.
Door top alarm systems mounted to the top of a door are typically configured to provide an alarm on application of a force to the top of the door so as to alert staff members to the possibility that a patient is attempting suicide in this way.
Current systems typically include a wired connection which extends from the top of the door and through the hinge of the door in order to transmit an alarm when necessary to a unit which staff can respond to. The wired system presents the problem that operatives do not always fit the wire adequately and it can suffer damage during installation. In this way, the wired system can fail and be difficult to set up. Further, because these types of devices are integral to the door hinge itself, continuous movement of the door hinge can also lead to premature damage or fatigue and failure of the system.
Wireless systems have been proposed as an alternative. However, implementing a wireless version of a door top alarm is problematic due to the complexity of the electronic circuitry required. Thus, a wireless system which is able to function effectively in anti-ligature environments is required.